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Living Biosensors: Red-Blood-Cell Waveguide as a Living Biosensor and Micromotor (Adv. Funct. In article number 1905568, Yao Zhang, Baojun Li, and co-workers report a biocompatible biosensor and micromotor that are assembled with an in vivo red blood cell waveguide. The living biosensor is used for the diagnosis of pH-related disorders of the blood; the waveguide can rotate as a micromotor and transport microparticles to the target region. [Extracted from the article]

With great potential in intelligent sensing and actuating systems, biosensors and micromotors are expected to be powerful instruments for early diagnosis and drug delivery in precision medicine. However, it is difficult to ensure the synthetic biosensors and micromotors are compatible with biosystems because of their exogenous building blocks. Biocompatible biosensors and micromotors assembled are reported from living red blood cells (RBCs) optically bound into a waveguide using fiber probes. By monitoring light propagation of the RBC waveguide, the pH of blood solution is detected in real time with an accuracy of 0.05. This can be used for the diagnosis of pH‐related disorders of the blood. After diagnosis, optical torque is exerted on the RBC waveguide, allowing it to rotate as a micromotor and transport microparticles to a target region. The RBC waveguide is then constructed inside zebrafish blood vessels to validate in vivo application. The living biosensors and micromotors are expected to provide a "smart" platform for precise biosensing, medical analysis, and drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]